


The Zygon Investigation

by Dabberdees



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Also the answer to all these question is yes or perhaps no because no one knows (i do), And will Yaz be like I leave you lot alone for 5 minutes now Graham is an Alien, And yes The Chase does exist in universe because it was mentioned in The Good Doctor, Gen, Is Graham a Zygon, Will Ryan ever get over it if he is one, Will the Doctor get another once enemy turned friend, and Ryan is having another crisis, the Doctor is shoving fish and custard into her face, what are these tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-27 07:50:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18191783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dabberdees/pseuds/Dabberdees
Summary: "Doctor, my grandad is NOT a Zygon""Are you sure about that Ryan?"





	The Zygon Investigation

The TARDIS lands with a shuddering jolt, not really unusual for the Time Ship, but this time it’s harsher than usual. The Doctor raises her head from the displays and frowns at the machine. “Why are you being like that?” demanded the Doctor. The TARDIS makes a loud noise in return that makes the Doctor look at the console in horror. “Well, that’s rude! There’s no need to be like that with me!” argued the Doctor while crossing her arms across her chest, sourly.

Graham watches them argue back and forth as he walks into the console room, curious what caused the jolt. He leans back onto a pillar, observing her for a moment longer. “Trouble in paradise, eh Doc? Whatever it is, I’m on the TARDIS side.”

The Doctor snaps her head to him with an offended look on her face just as the TARDIS makes another VWROOP and there’s a caring, warmish feeling across his back from the pillar he’s leaning against. He might not be able to understand the ship, but he reckons that means she likes him. Good, that means when he wants to go directly to his quarters after a long trip, he won’t have to play Russian roulette with the rooms and end up in the stationary cupboard again.

“You’re only taking her side because she’ll give you preferred treatment Graham O’Brien.” countered the Doctor, her voice rising in volume.

Graham shrugs in response, amusement clearly written across his face at her seeing right through him. “All right fine, you got me.”

Ryan and Yaz slowly make their way into the console room as well now, hesitant looks on their own faces. “We heard raised voices,” said Yaz, looking at Graham and the Doc, wondering whether they were fighting.

Graham shakes his head and gestures to the Doctor and the console. “It wasn’t us, it’s the Doc and the TARDIS, they’re having a lovers tiff, and I have wisely chosen the TARDIS side in this argument. You two should do the same if you want to be able to find what you’re looking for ever again.”

“I’m with my granddad, sorry Doc, but he does bring up a very valid point,” explained Ryan with a slight sorry expression on his face.

They all turn to Yaz now, curious to see who’s side she’ll pick. The Doctor looks hopeful, and it breaks her heart to ruin it. “Sorry Doctor, but Ryan is right, Graham does bring up a good point.”

The Doctor looks at all of them in shock. “Betrayed by my Fam, you all lose points you know. Minus… Twenty points, and two thumbs down.” sulked the Doctor, before looking back up at the TARDIS console. “I bet you’re happy about this, aren’t you? Turned my entire Fam against me.”

The TARDIS responds by blowing a massive plume of smoke into her face, causing them all to cough from it. The Doctor recovers first, with Graham following behind her. Ryan and Yaz are still gasping.

The Doctor dodges under the smoke and points at her friends. “Right, you lot out now!” commanded the Doctor. “Betrayers or not, it’s Toxic fumes, really not good to breathe in when you don’t have a respiratory bypass system as I do.”

Yaz recovers next, with Ryan shortly behind. She turns her watering eyes to the Doctor. “Will you be all right in here?”

The Doctor looks up. “I’ll be fine, just need to sort out the issue, shouldn’t take longer than an hour… tops! That’s if she wants to play ball and not sulk like a toddler.” frowned the Doctor, before looking severe once more. “It’s fine though, got it all in hand and I’ve landed in Graham’s living room.” She looks up and sees Graham about to open his mouth to speak. “No, Graham, I haven’t landed on a chair, but that’s not important, what’s important is you three leaving before you end up growing another head or other appendages.” Her faces scrunches in thought. “Good word, though, appendages.”

Ryan widens his eyes. “Seriously? Tell me you’re joking Doctor? I can’t necessarily control the ones I already have; I don’t need anymore.”

“Yeah, probably… maybe, you might just end up feeling sick, but either way, you three should head out just to be safe.” prompted the Doctor, walking forward and pushing them along. “I’ll be fine, go and do what you humans do when I’m not around, make teas, eat, and sleep.”

Graham nods and makes a gentle grab for Ryan and Yaz. “Come on, you two, let the Doc and her ship have their moment.” Ryan and Yaz glance back at the Doctor before following Graham out of the TARDIS. The doors shut as soon as they’ve all cleared the doorway.

Graham surveys his living room, making sure that no chairs have been destroyed in the landing. Satisfied, he turns to Ryan and Yaz. “How long have we been gone this time?”

“Uh...” said Ryan, digging around in his trouser pocket before pulling out his phone and clicking it on. “So we left in the early morning, right? Well, it’s just gone one in the afternoon now so I would say a few hours, at least.”

“Ah crap,” exclaimed Yaz, turning quickly and heading for the front door while pulling out her own set of keys to the house, the ones Graham insisted she has because ‘You’re part of the Family now Yaz’. “I’ve got a shift later on, probably should try to get some rest in before it.” She flicks her eyes to the TARDIS. “You boys make sure she doesn't just lock herself away in there, she might’ve said it’ll only take an hour, but this is the Doctor we’re talking about, you know what she's like, I’ll see you all tomorrow,” called Yaz while giving them a wave and heading out of the house.

Graham waves her off before glancing down at the watch on his wrist and frowning. He heads into the hallway and turns to grab the leather jacket he left behind. Ryan raises his eyebrow at him. “Where are you going in such a hurry, Gramps?” He follows him into the hallway.

“Huh? Oh, nowhere, really,” answered Graham, a distracted look on his face. “I'll be gone for a few hours, just need to check in somewhere.”

“It’s not an appointment at the hospital, is it?” asked Ryan in a concerned tone. “Cause I can go with you if you want?”

Graham shakes his head. “No nothing like that, just meeting up with a friend.”

“Friend, what, friend?”

“Uh, you don't know them, someone from down south,” said Graham while reaching for the door handle. “I’ll be back later with a takeaway, all right? Chippy or something, keep an eye on the Doc, will ya? Make sure she doesn’t take apart anything else in this house cause I’m still getting my head around the things she added to the shower.”

Ryan breathes a long breath out through his teeth and lets out a laugh. “Yeah, true right, still not sure if we really needed to be able to make a cuppa while having a shower but we can if we want to now.” Graham looks back up at Ryan and smiles.

“Yeah, we can…” He pauses, looking around before looking back at Ryan. “Uh right, see you later then,” said Graham, opening the door and stopping, giving himself a quick pat-down. “Ah crap, nearly forgot it,” muttered Graham, stepping back into the house and heading upstairs.

“Nearly forgot what Gramps?” yelled Ryan after him. He doesn’t get a response and waits for Graham to come back down before asking again. It’s not long before he sees him coming down the stairs pocketing something into his jacket. “What did you nearly forget? You seem distracted,” he asked again.

Graham glances upwards at Ryan. “Just something my friend needs to see,” replied Graham, stepping past his grandson again.  
Ryan places an arm out, stopping him. “Is everything all right, Gramps?”

“Yeah, it’s fine, why wouldn’t it be?” responded Graham before stepping around his arm and heading for the door again. “See you later son.”

Ryan watches him open the door and step outside into the cool air, a slight frown on his face when the door shuts behind him. “You’re a hopeless liar, Gramps,” mumbled Ryan, turning away from the door and heading into the kitchen to put the kettle on. He leans back onto the kitchen side while waiting for the kettle to boil his mind thinking over everything Graham just said. Perhaps it is a hospital appointment, and he played it off because he didn’t want him to worry, is Ryan’s first thought, but that doesn’t add up. In the past he’s been honest about them so why would he hide it now, unless it was something serious, but even then he’s pretty sure that Graham would tell him. So it’s something else then, Ryan settles on just as the kettle finishes boiling. He’ll ask him when he gets back.

  
But that was nearly four hours ago now, and Ryan hasn’t heard a word from Yaz, the Doctor, or Graham. The latter isn’t even answering his phone, which just causes Ryan to worry even more. Sighing he turns back to the TV again and starts to flick through the channels pretty fast, nothing catching his eye at first until he spots a show that his Nan used to watch. Flicking back to it and recognising it as that quiz show she loved, the one with the host that looks remarkably similar to Graham.

Ryan leaves it on, too absorbed in it to notice when the Doctor makes her way out the TARDIS. “Repairs are done, well sorta. She just needs a few more hours to a day to reorganise herself, Ryan.” Ryan jumps out of his skin and turns his head to her with a panicked look on his face. She gives him an ashamed look. “Oh, sorry about that, Ryan.”

Ryan manages to get his breathing under control and offers a small smile to the Doctor. “Not your fault Doctor, I got too absorbed in this quiz show,” said Ryan gesturing to the TV. “Have you ever seen it before?”

The Doctor shakes her head as she makes her way over to the sofa to sit down next to Ryan.”I can’t say I have Ryan, what do they have to do?”

Ryan points towards the TV. “Well, they’re a team of four, and they gotta beat this person called The Chaser, or they’re eliminated from the show…”

The Doctor interrupts. “Eliminated?” she asked in a horrified tone.

“Not eliminated, just out of the game,” explained Ryan. “Look, see, she’s about to do her cash builder,” added Ryan, not mentioning that fact that the host looks like his grandad to the Doctor. He wants to see her reaction for himself if he’s honest.

The Doctor turns her head to the TV to watch, but after a few seconds, she turns her head to one side, almost like a dog trying work something out. “Ryan… that man looks remarkably similar to Graham..” muttered the Doctor, standing up and making her way over to the TV. She watches closely again, her brows furrowing. “Does he have a brother that he’s never mentioned?” asked the Doctor over her shoulder.

Ryan shrugs. “No, he’s an only child as far as I know and that man on the TV is definitely not his brother.”

“Are you sure about that? Because they're identical.”

“Positive, no relation cause when my Nan used to watch this show Graham would always get a little bit _off_.”

“Off?” inquired the Doctor, looking over her shoulder again. “How so?”

“Well my Nan used to tease him, and he always denied looking anything like him.”

The Doctor frowns again. She pulls her sonic out of her jacket and aims it at the TV, pausing it on the host's face. “The only difference about them is the hair.” said the Doctor looking at the paused screen again. “And he said he didn’t see it at all?”

Ryan leans forward, his head inclining to match the Doctors from earlier. “Well yeah, but people are born looking like other people all the time, aren't they? Maybe he just had enough of it from the buses, you know? Every time someone got on, and the first thing that comes outta their mouths is “Ain’t you that bloke from The Chase?” must have bound to get a little bit annoying.”

“No, this isn’t that Ryan, their features are exactly same.” said the Doctor, she raises her hand and starts pointing to the host face. “See look, same nose, eyes, facial structure. Everything minus the hair but that’s easy enough to change.” She rotates on her heels and looks back at Ryan. “Now it’s been known to happen; two people are born in the universe with the exact same features. It usually happens years or aeons apart though, bound to really, almost like a… glitch in the universe.” explained the Doctor using her hands. “But to have it happen at the same time, on the same planet and within the same country, the odds are astronomically low… unless…” The Doctor trails off as she stares into the distance. “Said planet currently has 20 million shape-shifting aliens living upon it.” She flicks her eyes to Ryan and slaps a hand on her forehead. “I’m an idiot.” exclaimed the Doctor, jumping up from her position on the floor.

“What are you talking about, Doctor? What is this about shape-shifting aliens? You've completely lost me now.” asked Ryan in quick succession.

“Zygons Ryan, keep up.” said the Doctor, speaking the race name in a way that sounds like Ryan should know what a Zygon is. “Big red rubbery thing covered in suckers, venom sack in the tongue.” added the Doctor pointing to her tongue and glancing back up at Ryan and seeing the utter confusion on his face. “Not important what they look like, what’s important is that they were given the right to hatch 20 million of their kind on Earth in 2013, provided they take the form of the nearest human being. Which meant most ended up looking like someone from this country.” She shrugs slightly. “I helped make the treaties myself, did a pretty good job if I say so myself, a bit of trouble a few years later though.” said the Doctor with a minor frown before turning back to look down to the paused TV. “Which means the Zygon on the TV must’ve been near Graham when he took his appearance, done quite well for himself it seems, got himself a show and everything.” said the Doctor in an almost proud tone.

Ryan furrows his brows in thought, something that the Doctor said really doesn’t add up. “You said, 2013?”

The Doctor nods. “Yup, did it when I was The Chin.” She taps a hand against her own chin. “Sandshoes and another me were there as well. I then met a Zygon called Bonnie, took my friends face but we...”

Ryan interrupts her. “2013?” The Doctor nods in confirmation. “No Doctor, the last thing you said doesn’t add up.”

“What do you mean?” inquired the Doctor, looking back up from the TV. “The bit about Bonnie?”

“No, Doctor, the bit before that cause…” Ryan points to the TV and the paused show. “...this quiz show has been going on for years, long before 2013 and that host, my nan and mum they used to watch him in this soap way before then. He’s been around for ages so he can’t be a, whatever you called them.”

“Zygon?”

“Yeah, that, from 2013.”

The Doctor frowns in confusion, her eyes flicking back to the TV. “But he’s an exact copy of Graham though.”

“But he ain’t a shape-shifting alien Doctor. He’s human.”

The Doctor ignores Ryan for a moment, her mind running ten to the dozen and an unsettling feeling sits within her. “Ryan, what did Graham do before moving to Sheffield? And when did he move to Sheffield?”

Ryan thinks back, trying to rack his brain. “Uh, I don’t know what he did before, but he became a bus driver here, and I think it was around 2013, didn’t know him then though.” The Doctor hmms in response. “Why?”

The Doctor narrows her eyes in thought. “Where is Graham now?”

Ryan gives her a puzzled look. “He said he had to go out, something about meeting an old friend but he took something with him. Saying that he couldn’t forget that.”

“Did you see what it was?”

“No, he put it in his jacket,” said Ryan, pausing now. “Doctor, what is this about? Why are you asking me these questions?”

The Doctor heads back over to the TV and squats down in front of it. “Ryan, if what you said is true about the man on the TV then I was wrong, he isn’t the Zygon.”

“Well yeah, that’s obvious Doctor.”

The Doctor shakes her head and looks back at Ryan while gesturing to the TV. “Ryan, if he isn’t the Zygon, then I’m sorry, but the only person that leaves is Graham.” Ryan stares at her, his brain working slower than hers. “Graham is the Zygon.”

Ryan faces her and lets out a nervous laugh before noticing that she’s completely serious. He shakes his head. “No Doctor, Graham is human, it’s just a coincidence,” explained Ryan, while gesturing with his hands. “Cause that’s one hell of a jump.”

“I don’t believe in coincidence, Ryan.”

“Seriously Doctor, he’s in remission, surely my Nan or any of his other nurses would’ve picked something up if he was anything other than human?”

The Doctor stands up and places her hands on her hips. “No they wouldn’t, it’s nearly impossible to be able to tell a Zygon when they’ve chosen a form. It can be done, but you need the correct equipment, and I know that you lot haven’t go that far yet.” The Doctor scrunches her face in thought. “On the subject of his cancer though, I once knew two Zygons who were attempting to make the Earth more habitable for them by building Nuclear Power Plants.”

“But what has that got to do with anything, Doctor?”

She faces him again. “What do Nuclear power plants produce Ryan?”

“Energy.”

The Doctor raises an eyebrow and sighs, humans. Pudding Brains, a very Scottish voice says in her head. “And what about the waste product that’s left over, it’s extremely radioactive.”

“You’ve lost me, Doctor.”

“What do you use to treat cancer cells, Ryan, come on, you should know this with Grace being a chemo nurse.” encouraged the Doctor, prompting him along.

“Small amounts of radiation… no Doctor, he’s...” started Ryan his eyes catch the TV again and he stops for a moment. “No, he was adamant that aliens didn’t exist back on that train, remember? If he were one, he would have..” His mind drifts back to that day, and it stops him mid-sentence. He would’ve argued, diverted it away from himself. Ryan thinks suddenly.

“Would’ve what Ryan? He would’ve argued maybe and perhaps said something like this..” Her voice takes on a mimic of Graham’s. “ _Don’t be daft! There’s no such thing as aliens. Anyway, even if there was, they ain’t going to be on a train in Sheffield._ ” She looks pointedly at Ryan again. “Beginning to sound like someone was being very defensive and trying to divert the topic away from themselves.”

Ryan runs a hand down his face. “No, Doctor, I don’t believe it. Look, he’ll be back soon we can just ask him, right?”

“I got something better, be right back, Ryan!” shouted the Doctor, quickly sprinting towards her TARDIS and disappearing inside. It takes a few minutes before she jumps out again, clutching something in her hand. She shows it to Ryan. “I had this before, didn't fully work last time, but I’ve had a century or a few since then to get it to work more reliably.” shrugged the Doctor, focusing intently down at it. “It’s a Zygon detector, goes ping when there’s stuff.” rambled the Doctor. “Well, technically it goes ping when it detects shapeshifter genes, could go ping if Frobisher walked into this house right now but that’s really unlikely.”

Ryan eyes the device suspiciously before taking it from her hands. “No, you’re not going to scan my granddad without his permission.” The Doctor has a moment of looking slightly outraged that Ryan stops with a severe expression. “If he is and he hasn’t told us then he has a good reason for it right? You don’t get to go digging into something if the person in question hasn’t even mentioned anything.”

“But aren’t you curious? Because none of this adds up at all...”

Ryan sighs and sits down. “Of course I’m curious, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to break his trust in me and go looking for stuff that might not even be there in the first place. We don’t have the right Doctor.”

The Doctor looks down and chews the inside of her mouth. “Spose, you’re right.” murmured the Doctor before looking up and grinning. “He’ll be my first proper Zygon friend though if he is, well there is an Osgood, but I’m not sure which one is Zygon and which one is human, could be that both are Zygon, really hard to tell.” rambled the Doctor, pacing again while Ryan watches her. She faces Ryan again. “I’ve been friends with a Sontaran, a Silurian, a Cyberman’s head, then there was Rusty, not really a friend but didn’t kill me either, he did try though and… oh and then the Master and Missy, but they’re more of a frenemy.” said the Doctor, counting them off on her hands.

“When you speak like that Doctor I really don’t know if you’re telling the truth or not.” She grins at him in response but looks back up as they both hear the front door go. “That’s Graham,” said Ryan, standing up. He stands up and faces the door, trying his best to look as natural as possible and failing miserably as Graham walks in with a curious expression on his face.

Graham glances away from Ryan and spots the Doctor. “Oh, hey Doc, finished your argument with the TARDIS then I take?”

She narrows her eyes slightly. Ryan gives her a nudge and speaks to her through his eyes, sending an “ _Answer his question, Doctor._ ”

“Uh, yeah, sorted.” She looks down at the bag in his hand. “Ooh what you got?” said the Doctor, stepping forward now and snatching it from his hands. She looks into it and smiles. “Love a chippy; I do, you got fish?”

Graham looks on forlornly as he watches his dinner get taken away from him. “I didn’t think you’d be finished…” He sighs when he sees the hopeful expression on her face. “Fine, yes, I got fish... It was meant to be mine, but you can have it.”

The Doctor grins and places the bag on the table; she turns to face Graham again. “Got any custard?”

Graham gives her a perplexed look now. “Why on Earth would you want custard with fish?”

Ryan looks equally disturbed but answers her question anyway. “Top shelf, above the kettle with the other tins.” She nods her thanks and rushes from the room. He turns back to Graham, the conversation he had earlier with the Doctor playing on his mind. “How did it go?”

Graham walks further into the room now, his eyes spotting the device in Ryan’s hands as his eyes narrow. “How did what go?”

“You said you were meeting a friend, how did it go? You’ve been gone for hours.”

“It was fine,” said Graham in a distracted voice. “What’s that you’re holding?”

Ryan's eyes widen, he forgot he was holding onto the device the Doctor had. He looks down at it, thankful that it’s not on at least. “Nothing, something the Doctor was working on.”

Graham inclines his head, his expression unreadable. “Can I see it?”

Ryan flicks his eyes to the kitchen, hearing the Doctor dig around in the cupboards. “Uh, sure, I don’t know what it does.” lied Ryan, handing it over and stepping back. There’s a small part of him that wonders if it’ll light up, and he’s disappointed when it doesn’t.

Graham doesn’t see the look in his grandson's eyes as he takes the device and rotates it in his hands just staring at it. Graham looks back up at Ryan, but his eyes catch on the paused TV behind him, and he swallows dryly. “You know what son, I’m a bit tired from everything that has gone on today. I think I might just call it an early one,” said Graham, turning and heading out of the door with the device still in his hand.

“You’ve not eaten anything though..” probed Ryan, gesturing to the untouched food as the Doctor comes back into the room, custard in hand.

“Yeah, well, I’m tired,” replied Graham before leaving the room and escaping upstairs quickly.

Ryan watches him go and raises a hand to his the back of his head. “Bollocks.”

“Language, Ryan.”

Ryan turns to face the Doctor, his eyes darting upstairs. He closes the door to the living room and steps towards the Doctor. “I think you’re right.”

The Doctor stops what she’s doing, fish and custard in hand. “What do you mean?”

“He came back, spoke to us and then he spotted the device I was holding in my hand Doctor, he asked to see it, and then he looked at the TV.” Ryan gestures to it, stilled paused on the hosts face. “And when have you seen him pass up on food cause he’s just gone and done that.”

The Doctor looks up at the ceiling, her eyes going wide as she grins hard. “I’ve never travelled with a Zygon before!”

Ryan, on the other hand, falls back onto the sofa. “My grandad is a bloody alien,” mumbled Ryan, leaning back as his own eyes go wide. “Holy fuck, just wait until I tell Yaz.”

“Language, Ryan!” reminded the Doctor again, her face frowning at him. “And not technically Alien because he has a right to live here.” He gives her an exasperated look. "Right, semantics and weren't you the one who said we didn't have a right to go digging through things he hasn't told us? So we probably shouldn’t tell Yaz, yet." Ryan lets out a sigh as she reminds him. "And technically we don't have solid proof without the device he took, why did you let him take it?"

"He asked to see it, what was I meant to do Doctor?" She shrugs unhelpfully and turns to dig into her dinner of battered cod and custard. She holds some out to him, but he declines. His eyes lock back onto the screen of the TV instead. “One thing I don’t get Doctor if my grandad is a shape-shifting alien, then why on Earth would he take the appearance of a celebrity of all things. Cause that’s just asking for trouble.” He doesn’t get a response.

* * *

  
Graham closes the door behind him and places the device on the bed, giving it a once over before sighing and bringing a hand to his face and running it down. He sits down next to it and picks it back up again, observing it once again before turning it on. The machine is instantly pinging in response to shape-shifter genes present. “Bollocks.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have a plan on this actually becoming more.  
> But it is sorta a crack idea that I had one day and ran with.


End file.
